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--></style></head><body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p>We’ve had very few opinions, other than heresay, about gipsies in the UK. I have never heard the term gipsy used as a pejorative for Romany gipsies, in fact their national body is called the Gipsy Council.</p><p><a href="http://www.gipsy-association.co.uk">www.gipsy-association.co.uk</a></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p>John Meechan</p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p>Sent from <a href="http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10</p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p style='border:none;padding:0cm'><br><b>From: </b>Ron Blechner via Callers<br><b>Sent: </b>01 November 2015 19:38<br><b>To: </b>Tom Hinds<br><b>Cc: </b>callers<br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [Callers] Gypsy / "Redneck"</p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>"who on this list believe that contra dancers have a negative view of the Romani people because of the word gypsy?"</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Over the last few days, as this conversation has spilled out onto a few forms of social media, I have now heard specific stories about people who are Roma and/or have Roma heritage who are folk dancers in dance forms that use "gypsy" as a term, and are offended directly.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>As to your question, do you consider "negative" to include "reinforcing stereotypes"? Maybe?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>What if we had a dance move called "redneck". Sure, there's plenty of find country folks in America who proudly self-describe as a "redneck". There are songs written about them. There are people who dress up for Halloween as them. etc. Does that mean that there aren't also plenty of people who have been called "redneck" as a slur against the stereotype of "dumb, rural, ignorant yokels"? I find the parallels compelling enough where I'm now seriously leaning off the fence...<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>-Ron Blechner<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>On Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 10:37 AM, Tom Hinds via Callers <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>In my opinion the offended women actually helped spread a stereotype she didn't like. Who on this list knew that Romani women had a reputation for being (I can't remember, was it) sexual? Not me. Okay, it was the caller she complained to who put it out there, but she started it. Should the caller feel defensive or should the caller turn the issue around if it's appropriate?<br><br>I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANT TO KNOW, who on this list believe that contra dancers have a negative view of the Romani people because of the word gypsy? Anyone?<br><br>For me the more important issue is education. I learned another tidbit about the Romani people. Yes I understand how people can be sensitive, but perhaps this woman needs to learn something about us before jumping to conclusions.<br><br>Tom<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Callers mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br><a href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div>
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